1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light that passes through a liquid, a method of cleaning the exposure apparatus, and a device fabricating method.
2. Description of Related Art
Among exposure apparatuses used in photolithography, one that is well known to those skilled in the art is an immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light that passes through a liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,874 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0023185 disclose examples of technology related to an immersion exposure apparatus that comprises a liquid immersion member capable of holding a liquid between itself and a substrate.
In an immersion exposure apparatus, it is possible that members that contact the liquid will become contaminated. For example, if foreign matter adheres to the liquid contact surface of a member that contacts the liquid, then it is possible that such foreign matter will cause exposure failures, such as defects in the pattern formed on the substrate. As a result, defective devices could be produced.
An object of the present invention is to provide an immersion exposure apparatus that can prevent exposure failures from occurring. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method that can prevent exposure failures from occurring. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device fabricating method that can prevent the production of defective devices.